Locomotive-engine.



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J. E. RDBERTS. Loco'MoTlvE-Euame,

. (Application tiled Sept. 13, 1901.) (Hu Model.)

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Patented Dec. ls, m02. J. E. ROBERTS.

LUCUMOTIVE. ENGINE. (Application led Sept. 13, 1901.)

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JOHN EDWARD ROBERTS, OF ONEDIA, KENTUCKY.

LocoMoTlvE-ENciNs.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 716,107, dated December 16, 1902. Appumion sied september 1s, 19o1.` serial No. 75,287. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Beit known that LJOHN EDWARD ROBERTS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Onedia, in the county of Clay and State of Kentucky, have invented new and useful Improvements in Locomotive-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to locomotive-engines and isin the nature of an improvement upon the construction illustrated and described in a former patent granted to me June 6, 1899, No. 626,566.

The invention relates particularly to locomotive-engines of the double-acting type, the objects of the invention being to equalize the poWerof a locomotive at each side of the same and at the same time provide means whereby dead-centers are effeotnally overcome and the accidental slipping of the driving-wheels on the rails obviated.

The invention also has the advantage of overcoming to alarge degree the wear and tear on the road-beds, and thereby renders travel over such road-beds safer.

' With the above general objects in view the invention consists in a locomotive-engine embodying certain novel features and details of construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated, and claimed. i

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of a sufficient portion of a locomotive-engine toillustrate the application of the presentimprovement thereto, said view showing the cylinders in section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the driving-wheels atene side of the engine, showing the manner of associating the connecting-rod, crank-levers, cranks, and pitmen therewith. Fig. 3 isV a similar, view showing the same connections at the opposite side of the engine. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of one of the driving-Wheels. Fig. 5 is a diametrical section through the same. Fig. 6 is a side elevationl of another one of the driving-wheels. Fig. 7 is a diametrical section therethrough. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of one of the crank-disks. Fig. 9 is a diametrical section through the same.

Likenumerals of reference denote like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1, 2, and 3 thereof, l, 2, 3, and 4` represent four cylinders arranged in pairs, one pair at each side of the locomotive. The front driving-wheels (indicated at 5) are mounted upon the axle 6 and the rear drivingwheels (indicated at 7) upon the rear drivingaxle S.

9, 10, 11, and 12 represent pistons of ordinary construction working, respectively, in the cylinders 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Connected with the pistons 9, 10, l1, and 12, respectively, are piston-rods 13, 14, 15, and 16, which are mounted in suitable stuffingboxes in the rear ends of the cylinders, the said piston-rods being respectively connected with the forward ends of pitmen 17, 18, 19, and 20. The connecting-rods 17 and 20, which are actuated by the pistons in the outericylinders 1 and 4, are connected to wrist-pins on crankdisks fast on the outer opposite ends of the rear drivin g-axle S,wl1ile the rods 18 and 19 are connected to the ends of crank-levers on the front driving-axle 6. The cranks are so disposed with relation to each other that the four pistons will always be half a stroke apart, as

. illustrated in Fig. 1, so that as the two pistons on' one side are moving in one direction those on the other side will be moving in the opposite direction. By an examination of Fig. 1 of the drawings it will be seen that during a portion of the revolution of the driving-wheels the two pistons at one side of the engine will be moving in the same direction, and this movement will continue a distance equal to one-half the stroke of any one piston, while during the next half-stroke one of the pistons will be moving in one direction and the other piston on the same side of the engine will be moving in the opposite direction. The arrangement is such that the two pistons at one side of the engine will always pass each other when the cranks of the driving-wheels are at an angle of forty-live degrees relatively to each other. The same movement takes place with respect to the other two pistons on the opposite side of the engine, and thus there will always be four pistons acted upon by the steam at the same time-two on each side of the locomotive. This is productive of equal power on each side of the locomotive and avoids the possibility of dead-centers. It also distributes or equalizes the strain produced by the frame and by the body of the locomotive IOO ' its ends to receive the axle and is provided at one extremity with a wrist-pin 37 to receive the overlapping ends of the adjacent connecting-rod or pitman, while its opposite end is formed with an opening to receive a fastener in the form of a bolt or screw 38 for connecting said end of the crank-lever to the Wheel. The object of this arrangement is best illustrated in Fig. 2, in which it will be observed that the rearward thrust imparted to the pitman 19 is transferred by the crank-lever to the upper portion of the Wheel above its axis of rotation,where the power to propel or turn the wheel is much more effective. This principle is well recognized by those familiar with the art to which this invention appertains. The rear driving-wheelsare provided in their outer surfaces with recesses 39, in which are placed cranks 40, each crank being provided at one end with an opening 41 for the reception of the axle and at its opposite end with a wristpin 42 to receive the rear end of one of the connecting-rods 2l. The crank 40 is what is usually known as a double crank and arranged with one arm 40 lying in the recess 39 of the adjacent rear driving-wheel, while the other arm of the crank is secured to the inner side of a crank-disk 43, as shown in Fig.

l and indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

The crank-disk is provided with openings 44:, arranged at a quarter of a revolution apart, one of said openings being designed to receive a pin on the crank 40, while the other opening receives the wrist-pin 45, by means of which the rear end of the connecting-rod or pitman 2O or 17, as the case may be, is connected to said wheel.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have effectually overcome dead-centers in the locomotive-engine by arranging the driving cranks and pistons in such manner that two or four of the pistons will be simultaneously acted upon by the steam within the cylinders; further, that the back thrust of the pitmen will be transferred and reversed by the crank-levers and applied in a forward direction to the wheels above their axes of rotation. In this way greater power is obtained or the same amount of power obtained with a less expenditure of steam, and by providing a pair of cylinders at each side of the locomotive the cylinders may be materially reduced in size as compared withthe single-cylinder engines at present in use without sacrificing power.

Any preferred form of valve mechanism may be employed for operating the pistons under the arrangement shown in Fig. l and the valve-controlling mechanism will be ot' such construction as to enable the two inside cylinders to be operated independently of the outside cylinders, or vice versa. Also any form of reverse mechanism may be employed for reversingthe direction of rotation of the driving-cylinders of the engine. All of such means will be under the control of the engineer.

It will be understood that the invention is susceptible of various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction,and I therefore reserve the right to make such changes as properly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to be secured by Let'- ters Patent, is-

1. In a locomotive-engine, the combination with the front and rear driving-wheels thereof having diametrically-disposed recesses, of levers arranged in said recesses and provided with wrist-pins, pitmen carried by the Wristvpins to connect the front and rear drivingwheels, crank-disks mounted upon the wristpins of the rear driving-wheels, a pair of cylinders arranged at each side of the locomotive, a piston working in each cylinder, and pitmen connecting the wrist-pins of the front drive-wheels and the disks to the piston-rods, whereby the pistons in each pair of cylinders are located at a distance apart equal to onehalf of a complete stroke in either direction to cause the pistons at one side of the engine to move in -the same direction for one-half the stroke of any one piston while during the next half-Stroke the piston will move in opposite directions.

2. In a locomotive, the combination with the front and rear driving-wheels thereof having diametrically-disposed recesses, of levers arranged in said recesses and provided with wrist-pins, pitmen carried by the wrist-pins to connect the front and rear driving-wheels, crank-disks mounted upon the wrist-pins of the rear driving-wheels, cylinders, and pitmen connecting the wrist-pins of the front drive-wheels and the disks to the piston-rods.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Jol-1N EDWARD ROBERTS.V

Witnesses:

A. B. BURNS, J. M. BURNS.

IOO 

